Is Earth Really Round? | The Institute for Creation Research

 
Is Earth Really Round?

Without a doubt, Earth is round, or nearly so. Using careful measurements from the ground and observations from space we can be certain it is essentially a sphere, with only minor bulging near the equator. If reduced to the size of a billiard ball, it would be perfectly smooth, and we wouldn't even be able to feel the highest mountains or deepest oceans. The erosive action of rainfall, glaciers and wind couple with gravity to relocate material from higher elevations to lower ones, rounding the globe. We actually observe these familiar mechanisms at work in the present.

By the way, the Bible has always taught a spherical Earth. There are, of course, instances of phenomenological language, where the author refers to what the viewer can see, just as we do today when communicating. We talk about "flat" terrain or a "flat" ocean even though we know they follow Earth's curvature. It is flat to our eyes and to our listener's eyes. But when the issue of Earth's shape is addressed in Scripture, the Hebrew wording implies sphericity (see Isaiah 40:22, etc.).

This may seem unimportant, but evolutionists often belittle creation thinking by comparing it to belief in a flat Earth. Certainly most who do so are merely repeating catchy insults from others, even though there are many who make the claim maliciously and purposively. While this may make them feel superior it belies a great misunderstanding (or misrepresentation) of creation and of the nature of science itself!

Of course creationists and evolutionists agree fully on Earth's shape. It involves observational science. Earth can be observed to be round. This is not a matter of interpretation. This is simply an observational fact. To deny it is to deny observation, and no one does.

Compare this with macroevolution, the theory that basic plant and animal types have changed into others. This is not and has never been observed. Instead, we observe stasis, that things "stay" the same, with only minor adaptations to the basic types. Evolutionists recognize this fact of the present too, but they claim things underwent major changes in the unobserved past when no one was present to observe it, and that all of life experienced these major changes. Indeed, their claim is that all of life came from a common ancestor. They argue about the mechanism by which this happened, but not the truth of the claim.

Thus evolution must deny the ubiquitous observation of stasis, relying on an unobserved mechanism to accomplish great changes. Evolution must confuse facts about the present operation of the universe based on observations in the present with speculation about its history which ignore present observations.

So in reality, evolution claims bear more resemblance to flat Earth claims than does creation thinking. Based as it is on a rather unsupported view of the past, and a denial of present observations, its supporters really shouldn't be throwing stones at those who are doing better science.

Cite this article: John D. Morris, Ph.D. 2006. Is Earth Really Round?. Acts & Facts. 35 (3).

The Latest
NEWS
All Things New
"And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful."...

ACTS & FACTS
Creation Kids: Neptune
by Renée Dusseau and Susan Windsor* You're never too young to be a creation scientist and explore our Creator's world. Kids, discover...

ACTS & FACTS
Theodore Roosevelt National Park: Testimony to the Receding Flood
by Tim Clarey, Ph.D., and Mike Mueller, M.S.* Nestled next to Medora, North Dakota, and 45 miles east of Glendive, Montana, Theodore Roosevelt National...

ACTS & FACTS
A Great Year of Development! 2024 Year in Review
The Institute for Creation Research had another outstanding year advancing creation science in 2024! We’ll use this opening issue of Acts &...

APOLOGETICS
Mice That Prey on Scorpions and Tarantulas
Don’t underestimate the ferocity of a humble-looking little mouse—especially if it lives inside Grand Canyon. Although various mice...

ACTS & FACTS
The Courage of Conviction
Several years ago, a young pastor assumed leadership of his father’s church. The church was located in a large city with an increasing population...

ACTS & FACTS
Gene Complexity Showcases Engineered Versatility
In the early days of molecular genetics in the 1960s and ’70s, researchers widely held that a gene could be defined as a single, discrete entity...

NEWS
Joy to the World
Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.’” (Luke...

NEWS
Butterfly Learning and Memory
Insects, such as the winged insects in the order Lepidoptera, continue to reveal incredible abilities with some facets that zoologists thought were...

CREATION PODCAST
3 Game-Changing Benefits of a Theory of Biological Design | The...
Science is objective. At least, that’s what we’re told. But there are inherent issues with this statement that can cause very real...